Fact or Fiction: Looking at Web Pages (3.02)

How do you know if the Web Page you are viewing is Fact or Fiction? With so much information available on the Web, sometimes it's hard to tell if the information has been "made up" or if it is something reliable. Here are some ways that you can "think for yourself" when answering this question.

Lesson 3.02 of Web Design 1 lists four methods to verify authenticity of a Web Site: Following is a brief summary of those methods. Be sure to read the lesson completely. Don’t rely just on this summary.

1. “Understand the purpose(s) of a Web site, and that those purpose(s) may not be entirely obvious.” In other words, try to determine if the Web Page is trying to sell you something, present information, or entertain you. And the Web Page may be doing several of these things at one.

Just because you find it on the web, the Web Page may not be providing objective information. Ask yourself several questions before actually using the data on your research.

· What do other searches reveal about this issue?

· What does the URL tell you about the information? (education, Government, personal web page, etc.)

· Do other sources give similar information?

2. “Establish the credibility of the author.” Research the author. Look for background information on that author. What makes him/her qualified to provide information. Do a Google search of the author. See how other people rate the author.

Although the lesson didn’t mention this tip, stay away from Author unknown sources! If the author is not proud enough to claim his/her work, it’s just not good enough for you to use! There are so many sources on the Web; make sure you use credible ones.

3. Use meta-information sources. Validate the information within the context of other web pages. Do a Google search of the topic. Don’t choose the first one that pops up. Refine your search and get the most credible ones. Use the link command from the lesson. (go to AltaVista at http://www.altavista.com/, enter data to get information about the author(s) you are considering using in your research.

4. Explore a variety of resources. Look beyond the Internet. Talk to you teachers, interview someone in your family or community. Read a book, look at a newspaper. There are SO MANY resources available to you. Use them to YOUR BENEFIT.

OTHER WAYS TO ESTABLISH WEB PAGE CREDIBILITY

1. Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages from Cornell University. http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/webcrit.html. Print this page and carefully read the criteria listed. See how it expands on the information from Lesson 3.02. A summary of the information follows:

Putting it all Together

· Accuracy. If your page lists the author and institution that published the page and provides a way of contacting him/her and . . .

· Authority. If your page lists the author credentials and its domain is preferred (.edu, .gov, .org, or .net), and, . .

· Objectivity. If your page provides accurate information with limited advertising and it is objective in presenting the information, and . . .

· Currency. If your page is current and updated regularly (as stated on the page) and the links (if any) are also up-to-date, and . . .

· Coverage. If you can view the information properly--not limited to fees, browser technology, or software requirement, then . . .

You may have a Web page that could be of value to your research!

2. Helpful Hints to help you evaluate the credibility of WWW resources by Virginia Montecino. http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/web-eval-sites.htm. Read this article—look for similarities with the other information we have read. What different information is provided? I found the main idea here is to “develop a critical eye” when exploring material on the internet. Don’t take everything as “Fact”. Is there any “Fiction” in the page? See if you can spot the ways this author provides to “deconstruct” a web site.

Also there are endings after web sites that should be mentioned. Learn these extensions.

· .edu - education sites

· .gov - government sites

· .org - organization sites

· .com - commercial sites

· .net - network infrastructures

· There are other extensions, such as the abbreviation of a country, ie. .jp for Japan

3. Evaluating Information Found on the Internet from Elizabeth Kirk of Johns Hopkins University. http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating/. The author list 8 criteria for evaluating information. Many of the points are in the other articles about this subject. Ms. Kirk clearly describes each of the criteria and how you as a student should evaluate it.

SO WHY SHOULD YOU LOOK AT ALL THIS INFORMATION?

It would be worth your time to carefully read this material and also print it for future reference. You can then be in a better position to determine whether something is “Fact or Fiction.” Your future research topics will be measured against the criteria presented above.